ATP13A2

Merck & Co. agreed to acquire Caraway Therapeutics for up to $610 million, bolstering its pipeline with a number of preclinical small-molecule compounds mainly focused on Parkinson’s disease. The deal announced Tuesday includes an undisclosed upfront payment as well as milestones linked to certain experimental drugs.“Caraway’s multidisciplinary approach has yielded important progress in evaluating novel mechanisms of modulation of lysosomal function with potential for the treatment of progressive neurodegenerative diseases,” remarked George Addona, senior vice president for discovery, preclinical development and translational medicine at Merck Research Laboratories.Caraway’s pipeline includes two compounds targeting the TRPML1 ion channel, with one focused on GBA-Parkinson’s disease and the other on an undisclosed non-CNS rare disease. The other two preclinical assets targeting TMEM175 and ATP13A2 are under development for Parkinson’s disease, with the former also being investigated for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.In 2021, AbbVie paid $17 million upfront for an option on Caraway’s programme targeting the lysosomal potassium ion channel TMEM175. Meanwhile, Merck has been a shareholder of Caraway since 2018 through its MRL Ventures Fund.

PHILADELPHIA, May 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enterin Inc., a privately held, Philadelphia-based, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering novel treatments for neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, announces the acceptance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of an investigator sponsored Investigational New Drug (IND) application (166532) to treat a patient with prodromal multisystem atrophy (MSA) with ENT-01. Treatment will continue indefinitely or until significant adverse events occur that warrant discontinuation of drug. Individuals diagnosed with MSA have an average life expectancy of 6-8 years and there is no existing treatment which halts the progression of the disease. The condition, an alpha-synucleinopathy similar to Parkinson’s disease, consists of progressive autonomic failure with prominent bowel and bladder symptoms, and central nervous system manifestations include REM-behavior disorder, dysfunctional circadian rhythm, Parkinsonism, and cognitive dysfunction. ENT-01 has been used to treat close to 200 patients with Parkinson’s disease in Phase 2a and Phase 2b (randomized) studies and dose-dependent improvement noted in the symptoms mentioned above ( ). Side effects are largely confined to the GI tract, and consist of nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Phase 3 studies in Parkinson’s disease-related constipation and further Phase 2 studies in Parkinson’s disease-related psychosis and dementia are being planned. The patient is a 42-year-old man with a single gene mutation (ATP13A2) which may impair lysosomal clearance mechanisms, and which predisposes to Parkinsonism and MSA. He has a 2-year history of constipation, urinary symptoms, erectile dysfunction, sleep disturbances suggestive of REM-behavior disorder, dysfunctional circadian rhythm and positive alpha-synuclein staining in duodenal enteric neurons. On the basis of these symptoms, he has been diagnosed as having prodromal MSA. ENT-01 (squalamine phosphate) acts locally on enteric neurons and electrostatically displaces misfolded, positively charged proteins such as alpha-synuclein from neuronal membranes, as well as preventing the formation and deposition of alpha-synuclein aggregates. Moreover, in preliminary experiments conducted on the patient’s own cells, ENT-01 completely prevented the oxidative stress response caused by rotenone, a highly toxic agent which impairs mitochondrial function, and which is used in animal models of PD. According to Dr. Denise Barbut, Co-Founder, President and CMO of Enterin, “This is the first time that any compound is being used to prevent the progression of MSA and a milestone in the development of ENT-01 for both treatment and prevention of other neurodegenerative disorders.” Dr. Robert Hauser, the treating physician and Director of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center of the University of South Florida added, “We hope that ENT-01 will be helpful in preventing progression of MSA in this individual and that this work will help promote personalized medicine for neurodegenerative diseases.” About Enterin Inc. Enterin Inc. is the first company to develop novel compounds that repair the dysfunctional gut-brain axis in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Enterin Inc. is pioneering the medical community’s understanding of the link between infections, dysfunction of the enteric nervous system (ENS) and the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disease. Enterin’s lead compound, ENT-01, displaces membrane-bound alpha-synuclein (αS) aggregates from nerve cells in the ENS and improves neural signalling between the gut and the brain. Enterin Inc. has completed a large, randomized Phase 2b clinical trial in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The study met all the endpoints. Preparations for Phase 3 studies are currently underway. The second compound, ENT-03, increases insulin sensitivity by acting at the level of the brain. It is being developed for the treatment of diabetes, obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease and Phase 1 clinical trials in subjects with obesity and diabetes will begin in June 2023. For more information, please visit . ​ Enterin Inc: Katherine Wolf k.wolf@enterininc.com Investors: Lee Roth/Julia Weilman Burns McClellan lroth@burnsmc.com/jweilman@burnsmc.com Media: Selina Husain/Robert Flamm, Ph.D. Burns McClellan shusain@burnsmc.com/rflamm@burnsmc.com